How to Create a Bot on MAX and Connect It to a Channel

You can currently create your own MAX chatbot through the MAX for Partners platform or the MAX for Business mini app. You need a verified organization, sole-proprietor, or self-employed profile that meets the platform's current requirements. An ordinary individual without an eligible status cannot register a custom bot.

After you submit the bot profile, MAX moderates it. The official review window can be up to 48 business hours. Once approved, advanced settings and the bot token become available. You can then build the logic with a no-code partner tool or the MAX API. To connect the bot to a channel, first allow it to be added to group chats, then add it to the channel and assign only the admin permissions the workflow requires.

Who Can Create a Bot on MAX

MAX currently supports bot creation through verified profiles for:

• · Organizations;
• · Sole proprietors;
• · Self-employed users.

MAX for Partners also publishes current residency and verification requirements. A normal personal account without an eligible status cannot currently create a custom bot.

How Many MAX Bots Can You Create

Current limits depend on the profile.

Profile Type	Bot Limit
Organization	Up to 5
Sole proprietor	Up to 5
Self-employed	Up to 2

Each bot is configured and moderated separately.

Multiple bots make sense when you have separate brands, business units, support flows, or permission models. If the tasks overlap, one well-designed bot may be easier to maintain.

What to Prepare Before Creating a Bot

You need:

• · A verified MAX for Partners profile;
• · Bot name;
• · Logo;
• · Short description;
• · A clear use case;
• · Optional website and phone;
• · A decision between no-code and API implementation.

Start with one question:

What should the bot actually do after launch?

For example: answer FAQs, collect leads, publish posts, moderate comments, route users to support, or launch a mini app.

How to Create a MAX Bot Step by Step

Step 1. Open MAX for Partners

Open your verified profile. Bot creation and management are also available through the MAX for Business mini app; official documentation says the main flow is equivalent.

Step 2. Open Chatbots

Use:

Chatbots → Create

If you already have a bot, use the bot selector to add another one.

Step 3. Fill In the Bot Profile

Upload a logo, enter the bot name and description, and optionally add a website and phone number.

The username is generated by MAX automatically.

Step 4. Review the Profile

Check the name, logo, description, contacts, and whether the profile accurately represents the business. Bot settings cannot be changed while moderation is active.

Step 5. Submit the Bot

The bot enters moderation, and status notifications are delivered through MAX for Business.

How to Fill In the Bot Profile Correctly

Logo

Current requirements:

• · 500 × 500 px;
• · 1
  ratio;
• · Maximum 5 MB;
• · JPG, JPEG, or PNG.

Do not use another company's identity or data in a misleading way.

Name

Current requirements:

• · 1–59 characters;
• · Latin or Cyrillic letters and digits;
• · Emoji are not supported.

Use a name that communicates purpose quickly.

Example Support

is clearer than:

Assistant 4

Description

The limit is 200 characters.

Explain what the bot does and why it is useful.

Example bot helps you check order status, find the right service, and contact support.

Phone and Website

These fields are optional. Website URLs use https://. Re-check current phone-format requirements in the MAX for Partners interface when publishing or updating the guide.

If a contact must be visible directly to users, add it to the description as well.

What Username Does a MAX Bot Get

MAX currently generates bot usernames automatically.

For organizations and sole proprietors the pattern is based on the tax identifier:

id<TAX_ID>_bot

For self-employed profiles, it is based on the profile identifier:

se(orgid)_bot

Current official documentation says the username cannot be selected or changed.

A public URL is generated in the form:

max.ru/<bot_username>

You can share that URL or a QR code.

How Long Does Bot Moderation Take

After submission, the bot status becomes under moderation. MAX says the review can take up to 48 business hours.

Status	Meaning
Under moderation	MAX is reviewing the profile
Created	Approved
Requires changes	Fix the issues and resubmit

If you update an approved profile later, the new data goes through moderation again. Users continue seeing the previously approved version until the update passes review.

What Becomes Available After Moderation

After approval, you get:

• · Advanced settings;
• · Bot token;
• · Scenario configuration;
• · Partner integrations;
• · Mini-app connection;
• · The setting that allows or blocks group/channel adding.

Registering the bot does not automatically implement its behavior.

How to Get the MAX Bot Token

Open:

Chatbots → Open → Advanced settings → Configure

The token appears in its own field after successful moderation.

You need it for:

• · MAX API;
• · No-code builders;
• · CRM integrations;
• · Support platforms;
• · Other compatible services.

What to Do if the Token Leaks

Rotate it in the advanced settings, then:

1. Replace the secret on your server or in the builder.
2. Restart the integration.
3. Verify the Webhook.
4. Review logs for suspicious activity.
5. Remove the old token from accessible configuration history where possible.

How to Create a MAX Bot Without Coding

MAX supports partner integrations and bot builders.

A no-code tool can cover:

• · Menus;
• · FAQs;
• · Forms;
• · Lead collection;
• · Simple funnels;
• · Human handoff;
• · Basic automation.

Typical flow:

1. Create and moderate the bot.
2. Get the token.
3. Choose a service from the current MAX integration catalog.
4. Connect the token through a protected integration field.
5. Build the flow.
6. Test it with a non-production account.

How to Build a MAX Bot With the API

For custom logic, use MAX API.

Current base host:

https://platform-api2.max.ru

Send the token in the HTTP header:

Authorization: <token>

Query-parameter token authorization is no longer supported.

Example:

curl -X GET "https://platform-api2.max.ru/me" \
  -H "Authorization: <TOKEN>"

Store production tokens in environment variables or a secret manager.

MAX API Request Limit

MAX recommends keeping requests to platform-api2.max.ru within 30 requests per second for stable operation.

Handle 429 responses with rate limiting and backoff.

Useful safeguards include:

• · Request queues;
• · Rate limiting;
• · Retry backoff;
• · Temporary-error handling;
• · Response logging.

Webhook or Long Polling

MAX supports both, but recommends Webhook for production.

Webhook

MAX sends HTTPS POST requests to your endpoint when events occur.

Example:

https://example.com/webhook

Current requirements include:

• · HTTPS;
• · Port 443;
• · Trusted TLS certificate;
• · No self-signed certificate;
• · HTTP 200 response within 30 seconds.

When creating a subscription, you can set a secret and validate the X-Max-Bot-Api-Secret header.

Long Polling

Long Polling can be used during development and testing, but MAX documentation says it is limited by event retention and request speed and is not suitable for production.

Use Webhooks as the default production design.

How to Subscribe to Events

Use:

POST /subscriptions

Example:

curl -X POST "https://platform-api2.max.ru/subscriptions" \
  -H "Authorization: <TOKEN>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://example.com/webhook",
    "update_types": ["message_created", "bot_started"],
    "secret": "your_secret"
  }'

Generate your own secret instead of copying a public example.

How to Connect a Bot to a MAX Channel

A token alone is not enough. The bot must be added to the channel and receive the permissions it needs.

The flow is:

allow adding → add to channel → make admin → assign permissions → test.

Step 1. Allow the Bot to Be Added to Channels

After moderation, open:

Chatbots → bot → Advanced settings → Configure

Enable the setting that allows the bot to be added to group chats.

The label can be misleading, but MAX explicitly notes that if adding to group chats is disabled, the bot cannot be added to a channel either.

This is disabled by default for a newly created bot.

Step 2. Add the Bot as a Channel Member

The bot must be present in the channel before you can grant admin permissions.

If it does not appear as an admin candidate:

• · Confirm moderation is complete;
• · Confirm group/channel adding is enabled;
• · Make sure you selected the correct bot;
• · Confirm the bot is already present as a member/subscriber.

Step 3. Make the Bot a Channel Administrator

Use the normal channel-admin flow:

1. Open the channel.
2. Tap the channel name.
3. Open Administrators.
4. Choose Add administrator.
5. Select the bot.
6. Choose the required permissions.
7. Confirm.

MAX channels can currently have up to 50 administrators.

Which Permissions Does a Bot Need

Do not grant every permission by default.

Bot Task	Typical Permission
Publish posts	write
Read admin-level channel events/messages	read_all_messages
Edit channel posts/comments	edit
Delete channel posts/comments	delete
Manage members	Only the relevant permission when needed
Add admins	add_admins only for specialized workflows

The MAX UI may show human-readable labels while the API uses these identifiers.

Simple Publishing Bot

Usually needs write, plus edit if it must update content.

Comment Moderation Bot

MAX's official moderation example uses:

• · read_all_messages;
• · edit;
• · write;
• · delete.

Why You Usually Should Not Grant add_admins

A posting bot does not need to promote other administrators.

Grant only the permissions required by the real workflow.

How to Get the Channel ID

API workflows need chat_id.

Current MAX documentation says a chat or channel ID can be obtained from an Update event delivered through Webhook or Long Polling — for example, when the bot is added.

A practical flow:

1. Configure the Webhook.
2. Add the bot to the channel.
3. Receive the event.
4. Extract chat_id.
5. Store it in your configuration.

Do not try to infer the numeric ID from the public link or channel name.

How to Verify the Bot Is Really Connected

Do not stop at “the bot appears in the admin list”.

Publishing Bot

• · Send a test post;
• · Check text;
• · Check media;
• · Test editing if required;
• · Remove the test post.

Moderation Bot

• · Add a test comment;
• · Confirm the event arrives;
• · Check the moderation rule;
• · Do not test destructive actions on an important live thread.

Support Bot

• · Start it from a normal user account;
• · Complete the full flow;
• · Check dead ends;
• · Test human handoff.

How a Bot Publishes to a MAX Channel

After joining the channel and receiving publishing permission, a bot can send content through MAX API.

Supported capabilities include:

• · Text;
• · Images;
• · Video;
• · Audio;
• · Files;
• · Formatting;
• · Buttons;
• · Editing;
• · Deletion.

For the publishing workflow, see how to publish posts on MAX.

Can a Bot Moderate MAX Channel Comments

Yes. MAX officially documents this type of workflow.

A typical flow is:

new comment → Webhook → rule check → keep / process / delete.

The bot can check:

• · Stop words;
• · Suspicious links;
• · Repeated spam;
• · Message frequency;
• · Custom project rules.

Automated moderation should not confuse negative feedback with abuse.

For manual settings and moderation rules, see MAX channel comments.

Can You Build an Autoposting Bot

Yes.

A common architecture is:

CMS → queue → MAX API → channel.

The bot can:

• · Publish prepared content;
• · Upload media;
• · Edit its posts;
• · Remove incorrect content;
• · Receive content from an external CMS;
• · React to events from other systems.

However, if you only need a single post to go live at a future time, a custom bot may be unnecessary because MAX already has native scheduled publishing.

A bot makes sense when you need automation logic, not merely a future publish time.

Can You Connect a Mini App

Yes. After moderation, advanced settings allow you to provide a mini-app URL and configure its launch button.

Mini apps are useful for:

• · Catalogs;
• · Checkout;
• · User dashboards;
• · Forms;
• · Games;
• · Service interfaces.

The bot remains the entry point.

Can You Change the Bot Name and Description Later

Yes, through MAX for Partners rather than directly in the messenger.

You can edit the name, avatar, description, and other supported fields. The username cannot currently be changed.

Updated profile data goes through moderation again. Users keep seeing the previously approved version until the new one passes review.

Can a MAX Bot Be Private

Current official MAX Help says users can find bots through a link or username in search.

Do not build security around obscurity.

If the bot has administrative features:

• · Verify the user;
• · Check roles;
• · Do not expose admin commands to everyone;
• · Never send secrets in messages;
• · Do not rely on a “secret username” as access control.

Why a Bot May Fail to Join a MAX Channel

Check these in order.

Moderation Is Not Complete

Wait for the Created status.

Adding to Group Chats Is Disabled

Enable it in Advanced settings. This setting also controls channel adding.

The Bot Is Not Yet a Channel Member

Add it first, then grant admin permissions.

Missing Permissions

The bot may be an admin but still lack write, delete, or another required permission.

Old Token

If the token was rotated, update your server or builder.

Wrong chat_id

Read the ID from MAX events.

Broken Webhook

Check:

• · HTTPS;
• · Port 443;
• · TLS certificate;
• · HTTP 200 responses;
• · Secret validation;
• · Active subscription.

Too Many API Requests

Handle 429 with rate limiting and backoff.

Why a Bot Is in the Channel but Cannot Publish

Check the full chain:

1. The token is valid.
2. Requests use platform-api2.max.ru.
3. The token is sent through Authorization.
4. chat_id points to the correct channel.
5. The bot is in the channel.
6. The bot has admin status when required.
7. Publishing permission is enabled.
8. Your code handles the API response.
9. There is no 401, 403, 429, or 503 error.

The HTTP response code is usually more useful than recreating the bot.

Common MAX Bot Mistakes

Following an Outdated Creation Tutorial

Use current MAX for Partners and dev.max.ru documentation.

Planning Around a Custom Username

MAX currently generates it automatically.

Assuming Registration Equals Automation

You still need to implement the bot's behavior.

Leaking the Token

Keep it private and rotate it after exposure.

Granting Every Channel Permission

Use least privilege.

Using Long Polling in Production

MAX recommends Webhooks.

Hardcoding the Token

Use environment variables or a secret manager.

Ignoring API Errors

Handle authentication, permission, rate-limit, and temporary-service errors separately.

Minimum Security Checklist

Before launch, verify:

• · The profile is verified;
• · The bot passed moderation;
• · The description matches the real function;
• · The token is not public;
• · The current API host is used;
• · Authorization uses the header;
• · Production uses Webhook;
• · The Webhook uses HTTPS;
• · The bot has only required permissions;
• · Admin features are access-controlled;
• · Errors are logged;
• · Token rotation can be performed quickly.

What Is Confirmed — and What Is Not

Claim	Status
Custom bots are created through MAX for Partners	Confirmed by MAX
A verified organization, sole proprietor, or self-employed profile is required	Confirmed by MAX
A normal ineligible personal account cannot create a custom bot	Confirmed by MAX
Organizations/sole proprietors can create up to five bots	Confirmed by MAX
Self-employed profiles can create up to two bots	Confirmed by MAX
Moderation can take up to 48 business hours	Confirmed by MAX
Bot usernames are currently generated automatically	Confirmed by MAX
Bot usernames cannot currently be changed	Confirmed by MAX
The token appears after successful moderation	Confirmed by MAX
Adding bots to group chats is disabled by default	Confirmed by MAX
If group-chat adding is disabled, the bot cannot be added to a channel	Confirmed by MAX
A bot can be a channel administrator	Confirmed by MAX
Current API host is platform-api2.max.ru	Confirmed by MAX
Token auth uses the Authorization header	Confirmed by MAX
MAX recommends a 30 rps ceiling for stable operation	Confirmed by MAX
MAX recommends Webhook for production	Confirmed by MAX
Long Polling is equally recommended for production	No; MAX says otherwise
Any personal account can create a bot with /create	Not the current official process
You can choose any free bot username during creation	Not currently confirmed
A registered bot automatically publishes to a channel	False — logic, membership, and permissions are required

The Main Point

Creating a MAX bot is a multi-stage process:

profile → bot → moderation → token → logic → channel → permissions → events → testing.

For simple automation without development, connect a suitable builder or partner service after moderation.

For custom logic, use MAX API, the current platform-api2.max.ru host, keep the token private, and build production event handling around Webhooks.

Two channel steps are especially easy to miss:

1. Enable adding the bot to group chats — otherwise it cannot be added to a channel either.
2. Grant only the permissions the bot needs — for example write for publishing or a broader set for moderation.

If the channel does not exist yet, see how to create a MAX channel. For publishing workflows, use how to publish posts on MAX. For the broader growth strategy, see how to promote a MAX channel.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I create a bot on MAX?

You need an eligible verified organization, sole-proprietor, or self-employed profile on MAX for Partners. Open Chatbots, create the profile, submit it for moderation, then get the token and configure the behavior with a no-code builder or MAX API.

Can a normal individual create a custom MAX bot?

Not currently. Official MAX Help requires an eligible verified profile under the platform's current business/self-employed rules.

How many MAX bots can I create?

An organization or sole proprietor can currently create up to five bots per profile. A self-employed profile can create up to two. Each bot is moderated separately.

How long does MAX bot moderation take?

MAX states that moderation can take up to 48 business hours. If the bot requires changes, fix the listed issues and resubmit.

Can I choose my MAX bot username?

Not currently. MAX generates the username automatically, and current official documentation says it cannot yet be changed.

Where do I get the MAX bot token?

After successful moderation, open Chatbots → Open → Advanced settings → Configure. Keep the token private and rotate it immediately if it is exposed.

How do I add a bot to a MAX channel?

First enable the advanced setting that allows the bot to be added to group chats; MAX says this also controls channel adding. Add the bot as a channel member/subscriber, then promote it to admin if the workflow requires it.

Which permission does a MAX bot need to publish in a channel?

The API uses write for publishing. Add edit or delete only if the bot must modify or remove content. Grant the minimum permissions required.

Why can’t I add my MAX bot to a channel?

A common reason is that group-chat adding is disabled by default, which also prevents channel adding. Also verify moderation and channel membership.

Can I create a MAX bot without coding?

Yes. After moderation and token issuance, you can connect a compatible no-code builder or partner integration. Check the current MAX integration catalog before treating a service as an official partner.

Which API host should a MAX bot use?

Current MAX documentation points bot integrations to platform-api2.max.ru. Send the token in the Authorization: <token> header.

Should a MAX bot use Webhook or Long Polling?

For production, MAX recommends Webhook. Long Polling is limited by event retention and request speed and is mainly suitable for development and testing.

Can a bot moderate comments in a MAX channel?

Yes. MAX officially documents a workflow where the bot joins the channel, receives the necessary permissions, subscribes to events, and processes comments through the API.